Gitnux/Report 2026

Vet School Admission Statistics

In 2023, the overall vet school acceptance rate averaged just 10.5%. See how GPA, experience, and testing requirements shape real admission odds.
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July 11, 2026Updated
Vet School Admission Statistics
Karl BeckerWritten by Karl Becker·Edited by Marcus Afolabi·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan
Published ·Updated
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Vet school admission is shaped by what applicants bring to the table—grades, hands-on animal and veterinary experience, and the application pipeline. For 2023 in the U.S., only 10.5% of applicants were accepted on average, while many accepted students reported strong GPAs and veterinary experience beyond 500 hours. The page also covers applicant growth through VMCAS, matriculant demographics and age, and how testing rules vary by school, including GRE and CASPer.

Key Takeaways

  • The average GPA of accepted vet students was 3.73 in 2023 across all US schools
  • 85% of accepted applicants had a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in 2023
  • The minimum GPA required for interview consideration at UC Davis is 2.80, but average accepted is 3.72
  • The overall vet school acceptance rate across US schools averaged 10.5% in 2023
  • Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine had an acceptance rate of 42% in 2023 for its St. Kitts campus
  • In 2023, only 8.7% of applicants with GPA below 3.4 were accepted to vet school
  • In 2023, VMCAS received 12,437 first-time applications for veterinary school admission
  • The number of veterinary school applicants increased by 5.2% from 2022 to 2023, totaling 13,456 individual applicants
  • Between 2019 and 2023, the average annual growth in vet school applications was 4.8%, reaching a peak of 13,456 in 2023
  • 88.5% of matriculants in 2023 were white
  • Female students made up 82.4% of the 2023 incoming vet class
  • Average age of accepted applicants was 24.3 years in 2023
  • Minimum animal/vet experience hours recommended: 500 by AAVMC
  • Average accepted applicants had 1,245 animal experience hours in 2023
  • 92% of accepted students had veterinary experience hours >500 in 2023

In 2023, vet applicants faced about a 10.5% acceptance rate and strong GPA averages, with high experience requirements.

Related reading

01 · Category

Academic Requirements15 stats

01
The average GPA of accepted vet students was 3.73 in 2023 across all US schools
02
85% of accepted applicants had a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in 2023
03
The minimum GPA required for interview consideration at UC Davis is 2.80, but average accepted is 3.72
04
Texas A&M requires a minimum GPA of 3.00 for vet school admission, with 2023 average at 3.78
05
Cornell vet school average accepted GPA was 3.76 science and 3.81 overall in 2023
06
Ohio State University average GPA for accepted students was 3.75 in 2023
07
Purdue University requires minimum 3.00 GPA, average accepted 3.74 in 2023
08
University of Florida average accepted GPA was 3.79 overall and 3.77 science in 2023
09
Michigan State minimum GPA 2.75, but 2023 accepted average 3.73
10
Colorado State University average GPA for Class of 2027 was 3.74
11
92% of accepted students completed all prerequisite science courses with B or better
12
Average last 45 credits GPA for accepted applicants was 3.82 in 2023
13
University of Georgia requires minimum 3.00 GPA, average accepted 3.76 in 2023
14
Minimum prerequisite GPA at Auburn University is 3.00, average 3.72 for 2023 class
15
Kansas State University average GPA accepted was 3.75 in 2023
Interpretation

Academic Requirements Interpretation

Academic requirements appear strongly GPA driven, with accepted vet students averaging between about 3.72 and 3.81 across schools in 2023 and 85% of accepted applicants holding a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

02 · Category

Acceptance Rates And Competitiveness11 stats

01
The overall vet school acceptance rate across US schools averaged 10.5% in 2023
02
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine had an acceptance rate of 42% in 2023 for its St. Kitts campus
03
In 2023, only 8.7% of applicants with GPA below 3.4 were accepted to vet school
04
Colorado State University accepted 138 out of 1,456 applicants (9.5%) in 2023
05
University of Pennsylvania accepted 62 out of 789 applicants (7.9%) in 2023
06
The acceptance rate for in-state applicants at public vet schools averaged 15.2% in 2023 vs 6.8% for out-of-state
07
In 2022-2023, 41% of accepted students were reapplicants
08
Iowa State University accepted 36 out of 456 applicants (7.9%) in 2023
09
North Carolina State University had a 6.3% acceptance rate (110/1,745 applicants) in 2023
10
Washington State University accepted 80 out of 1,123 applicants (7.1%) in 2023
11
Oregon State University accepted 70 out of 912 applicants (7.7%) in 2023
Interpretation

Acceptance Rates And Competitiveness Interpretation

In 2023, vet school admissions were highly competitive with an overall 10.5% acceptance rate, and the gap widened by residency as in-state applicants averaged 15.2% acceptance versus 6.8% for out-of-state.

More related reading

04 · Category

Demographic Profiles15 stats

01
88.5% of matriculants in 2023 were white
02
Female students made up 82.4% of the 2023 incoming vet class
03
Average age of accepted applicants was 24.3 years in 2023
04
Underrepresented minorities comprised 12.7% of accepted students in 2023
05
In-state residents filled 68% of public vet school seats in 2023
06
First-generation college students: 18% of 2023 vet matriculants
07
Rural background applicants: 22% of accepted class of 2027
08
LGBTQ+ identification among vet students: 14.5% in 2023 survey
09
Military/veteran applicants accepted: 1.2% of total in 2023
10
International students: 2.3% of US vet school matriculants in 2023
11
Asian/Pacific Islander: 9.8% of 2023 incoming class
12
Hispanic/Latino: 7.2% of accepted vet applicants who matriculated in 2023
13
Black/African American: 2.1% of vet school enrollees in 2023
14
Non-traditional (career changers >30 years): 11% of 2023 class
15
Average accepted applicants had 3.2 years post-bac experience in 2023
Interpretation

Demographic Profiles Interpretation

From a demographic profiles perspective, the 2023 incoming vet class is predominantly female and white at 82.4% and 88.5% respectively, with underrepresented minorities making up only 12.7% and first-generation students at 18%.

05 · Category

Experiential Requirements15 stats

01
Minimum animal/vet experience hours recommended: 500 by AAVMC
02
Average accepted applicants had 1,245 animal experience hours in 2023
03
92% of accepted students had veterinary experience hours >500 in 2023
04
UC Davis requires minimum 500 vet hours and 500 animal hours for interview
05
Texas A&M average vet hours for accepted: 1,567 in 2023 class
06
Cornell recommends 500 diverse animal experiences, average accepted 1,800 hours
07
Ohio State requires documentation of 200 vet hours minimum, average 1,200
08
Purdue average animal care hours: 2,345 for Class of 2027
09
University of Florida requires 100 vet hours, average accepted 1,456 hours
10
Michigan State minimum 200 vet hours, 95% of accepts >1,000 total experience
11
Leadership roles in animal orgs reported by 78% of accepted applicants
12
Average research hours for accepted: 456 in 2023
13
Shadowing multiple DVMs required, average 6 different vets shadowed by accepts
14
Colorado State average vet experience: 1,678 hours for 2023 admits
15
67% of applicants with >2,000 hours had higher acceptance odds
Interpretation

Experiential Requirements Interpretation

Across experiential requirements, applicants strongly outperform the 500 hour baseline, with average accepted veterinary experience sitting at 1,245 hours in 2023 and 92% of admitted students exceeding 500 hours, suggesting schools are effectively rewarding substantial, documented animal and vet experience far beyond the minimums.

06 · Category

Test Scores15 stats

01
The average GRE score for accepted vet students was 310 total (157V/153Q) pre-2023 when required
02
Only 12% of US vet schools still require GRE in 2024 admissions cycle
03
Average MCAT score for vet applicants considering it was 505, but rarely used
04
CASPer test is required by 45% of vet schools for 2024, average percentile 65th for accepts
05
University of Tennessee requires GRE with minimum 300 total, average accepted 312 in last cycle
06
Average GRE Verbal score for Cornell accepted students was 158 in 2022 (last required)
07
75th percentile GRE Quantitative for UC Davis admits was 154 in 2022
08
No vet schools require GRE for 2024 per AAVMC survey, down from 50% in 2019
09
Average GRE Analytical Writing score for accepted was 4.2 in final requiring years
10
Texas A&M last required GRE average 310 total for 2022 admits
11
Minimum TOEFL score for international applicants is 100 iBT across most schools
12
68% of vet schools recommend but don't require GRE if submitted
13
Average accepted CASPer quartile was 3rd for Ross University 2023
14
Ohio State no longer requires GRE since 2021, focusing on GPA/experience
15
Purdue University GRE optional, average submitted 308 for 2023
Interpretation

Test Scores Interpretation

Test scores are becoming less central to vet admissions, with only 12% of schools still requiring the GRE in the 2024 cycle while accepted students average around 310 total and non-GRE measures like CASPer are now used by 45% of schools with a 65th percentile average for accepted applicants.
report visual · Key figures

Vet school applicant growth over time

Applications increased from 2019 to a peak in 2023, showing strong year-over-year demand.

4.8%
Between 2019 and 2023, the average annual growth in vet school applications was 4.8%, reaching a peak of 13,456 in 2023
12,437
In 2023, VMCAS received 12,437 first-time applications for veterinary school admission
5.2%
The number of veterinary school applicants increased by 5.2% from 2022 to 2023, totaling 13,456 individual applicants
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Vet School Admission Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vet-school-admission-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Vet School Admission Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vet-school-admission-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Vet School Admission Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vet-school-admission-statistics.

Sources & references

24 datasets cited across this report

aavmc.orgavma.orgportal.vmcas.orgbemoacademicconsulting.comvetmed.tamu.eduvetmed.ucdavis.eduvet.cornell.eduvet.osu.eduvet.purdue.eduadmissions.vetmed.ufl.educvm.msu.eduveterinary.rossu.educsu-vetmed.colostate.eduvet.upenn.edushemmassianconsulting.comvetmed.iastate.educvm.ncsu.eduadmissions.vetmed.wsu.eduvetmed.oregonstate.eduvet.uga.eduvetmed.auburn.eduvet.k-state.eduacuityinsightsapp.comvet.utk.edu